US launches Tikrit airstrikes as Iraqi offensive stalls

Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) allied with Iraqi forces against the Islamic State, carry their weapons prepare to attack Tikrit in the Iraqi town of Ouja, on the southern outskirts of Tikrit March 26, 2015. (Reuters / Thaier Al-Sudani) / Reuters

The US announced Thursday that coalition forces had carried out 17 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Tikrit ahead of an assault on the city by the Iraqi army and Shia militiamen from the Popular Mobilization units, now under way.

The airstrikes targeted checkpoints, two bridges, two ISIS
staging areas and a command and control facility.

The order to send in the warplanes came after a request from
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, after a ground offensive to
take the city stalled.

The operation to retake Tikrit, about 160km to the north of
Baghdad, began earlier this month comprising of about 20,000
soldiers from the Iraqi army and police as well as Shia
militiamen from the Popular Mobilization units.

The assault is being coordinated by Iranian military advisors,
led by Gen Qasem Soleimani from the revolutionary Guards Quds
force, renowned for their military discipline and prowess.

The government forces initially made rapid advances, despite not
having air support and entered northern and southern areas of
Tikrit, as well as capturing a number of nearby towns and
villages from ISIS.

But the over the past couple of weeks the offensive stalled with
both the army and militia suffering heavy causalities as Islamic
State militants dug in and planted a large number of bombs in
roads and buildings around the center of the city.

In this kind of urban warfare, precise firepower provided by
coalition aircraft can help dislodge Islamic State militants.

“These attacks are intended to destroy ISIL strongholds with
precision, thereby saving innocent Iraqi lives while minimizing
collateral damage to infrastructure,” said US Lt-Gen James
Terry.

The Pentagon has been at pains to say it is not cooperating
directly with the Iranians but is working only with Iraqi armed
forces, although privately it is understood the Iraqis alone are
not up to taking on ISIS and need Iranian support.

There has also been disagreement between the Iranian backed Badr
Brigade militia and the Iraqi military over the need for US air
support.